County supervisors oppose L.A. city sewer line through Marina del Rey

Public comment on the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Venice Pumping Plant new dual force sewer line can be sent until Wednesday, December 3rd, to the Los Angeles City Council Public Works Committee.

A City Council Public Works Committee hearing will be held the same day at City Hall in room 1060, 200 North Spring St., Los Angeles. Attendees may also issue their comments at the hearing.

The proposed project would place the sewer line under Via Marina and Marquesas Way from the Venice Pumping Plant at 140 Hurricane St, under the Marina del Rey and Ballona Channels to a pipeline at Vista del Mar Lane and Waterview Street in Playa del Rey. The project is estimated to take 11 months to complete.

The Public Works Committee continued hearing the project at its meeting the week of November 17th until December 3rd.

In a letter dated November 18th, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors “voiced unanimous opposition to the sewer expansion project that would have significant negative impacts to the residents and businesses in Marina del Rey,” said a spokesman for Fourth District County Supervisor Don Knabe, who represents Marina del Rey.

The letter of opposition was authored by Knabe.

“The City of Los Angeles prefers the sewer route inside Marina del Rey because it impacts city residents the least,” said Knabe. “Never mind that this construction route benefits city residents at the expense of our residents in the Marina.

“Our opposition to this route and the impact it would have is steadfast. I am pleased to have the unanimous support of the Board of Supervisors,” Knabe said.

The manager for the city project, Sean Zahedi, said the project would cause traffic and construction delays, no matter which route was chosen.

He said that to meet current peak wet weather flows, and to add operational ability and flexibility, the project is necessary.

During severe wet weather, peak flows to the Venice Pumping Plant have exceeded the capacity of the old existing force main that carries wastewater away from the plant, with a risk of spilling onto city streets and surface waters, Zahedi said.

When flows into the Venice Pumping Plant exceed flows out of the plant, levels at the plant rise and will overflow directly into Ballona Lagoon if the “exceedance” continues, which came close to occurring during the heavy storms experienced in 1994-95 and 2004-05, he said.

Zahedi said that the Pacific Avenue route would cause major transportation and parking issues for businesses and residents, and locating a working pit north of the channel would prove difficult.

Using the Venice beach route, which the current pipeline uses, could be an environmental issue with the California Coastal Commission, since regulations have changed since the pipe was placed 50 years ago, he said.